Developing safe and effective guardrail terminals has been a high priority for roadside safety researchers for several decades. Numerous full-scale crash tests have been performed, and many new types of terminals have been developed. Results are presented of an in-service performance evaluation of two popular guardrail terminals—the breakaway cable terminal and the modified eccentric loader terminal. The data were collected in parts of Iowa and North Carolina during a 24-month period from 1997 to 1999. The collision characteristics, occupant injuries, and barrier damage were evaluated to determine collision performance.
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